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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · calf · wax · land · dip · straw · temple · plane

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — a country
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wax — to grow
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com